Should Wayne Rooney Remain at Manchester United or Leave to Join a Different Club?

Wayne Rooney has been Manchester United’s main man for more than 5 years, but should he stay with the Premier League Champions this summer or should he go? It all went wrong for him when Robin Van Persie came to Old Trafford. Van Persie was at the top of his game, scoring 30 goals in 38 Barclays Premier League games for the Gunners in 2011-12. But still there were no trophies.

The FA Cup in 2005, when he replaced Cesc Fabregas four minutes from the end of normal time against United at the Millennium Stadium, is the only major honor he won at Arsenal. His move to Old Trafford was long and drawn out, but it reached a conclusion when Sir Alex Ferguson made a personal phone call to Arsenal’s manager. This proved two giants of the English game could agree on the transfer of a major asset for the benefit of the player.

Wayne Rooney is in a similar position at Manchester United. After nine years at Old Trafford, his career has reached a crossroad. He wants a fresh start, a new challenge with another team competing with United for the biggest honors in the game. That club is Chelsea, where the attraction of working with Ashley Cole, one of his best friends in the game, and the lure of Jose Mourinho is proving irresistible.

Rooney has done a lot for United, winning five Premier League titles and the Champions League during his time at Old Trafford. In the modern era it’s decent, loyal service. Last week, United’s new manager David Moyes claimed there was a glint in his eye when Rooney return for pre-season training.

Given the history between the pair and Rooney’s determination to leave United, it’s almost impossible to think that could be the case. Moyes continues to insist the striker is not for sale, but things change quickly in football. They have spoken several times but Rooney has shown little sign of backing down.

Rooney has won almost every club trophy there is to win at Old Trafford and even though there is a new manager in town, the team spirit and the way they play won’t make a difference to the amount of trophies they win. The boy from Everton may hate the new manager David Moyes after a row at the club when he was younger, but they have grown up and need to get on with it.

Last season, Rooney may have been behind new talisman Robin Van Persie, but he still popped up with a few goals. Two of the best team goals in the derby were scored against City, where he showed true class and quality to get on the end of some great passing movement.

Van Persie arrived last summer at United and has since made an instant impact, scoring over 30 goals in his first season. Unfortunately for Rooney, the Flying Dutchman has since moved the former first-choice striker back into a midfield role, which the Englishman is not very keen on and is now pushing for a move out the door of United. With the arrival of Cesc Fabregas gathering more pace at United, this could be a sign that Rooney is leaving the club.

Rooney, who is known to be an admirer of Jose Mourinho, wants a new experience and is reportedly pushing for a move to Stamford Bridge, where he will be playing with his friends and countrymen such as Frank Lampard, John Terry, Ashely Cole and will work along well with the new manager.

Chelsea are struggling for a decent striker right now, and Rooney certainly wants to be in a striker role now that he has been pushed out by Robin Van Persie; another reason why should leave and take up a new challenge in England.

The Blues have had more European success in the last couple of years than Manchester United, making it into later stages of the competition, yetalways being let down by a striker like the Didier Drogba that led the “boys in blue” to European glory in 2012.

Chelsea is most definitely the more suitable option for Rooney with them struggling to find a striker, and with his connections at Chelsea, they could persuade him to join. PSG could be a suitable option for Rooney, but they now have Edinson Cavani and Zlatan Ibrahimovic ahead of him, and Rooney would probably not become their first-choice striker. Rooney seemed to be a Barcelona summer target, but essentially they do not need Rooney, and a move to the Catalan Giants is not likely occur.